Oh, but it's hard to live by the rules

oh hey, that's me!

anyone else?

yes it's true.

I live mostly on facebook now (sorry LJ!)

and my world is surrounded by new house goodness, puppy love, wedding planning silliness, and (most importantly) enjoying the pleasure of being engaged with my love.

what's everyone else up to??

Vote please!  And if you have multiple emails and IPs - vote often!

and repost for your homegirl!!

My entry for an Ultimate Wedding Contest

hello?  anyone out there in livejournal land?

been quiet over here, but only because we've been so busy.

new job rocks.  organized finances like WOAH.  had a crazy fun vacation in CA with family and friends. started a new semester in my 2nd year as a graduate student.

put an offer on a house today.

to buy.

as homeowners.

so excited!

to be continued.....

Most of what I have to say is that I'm TIRED.

We got back from CA late weds night, I worked 2 long days at the Museum on thurs & fri, went back to pick up my stuff and finish a couple of things on sat, then spent the rest of saturday and all of sunday running around town trying to get errands run and the house cleaned before my first day on Monday.

Monday morning I started my new job at the National Dance Institute of New Mexico (www.ndi-nm.org). Everyone is really nice, helpful, supportive, and really loves what they do.

I had a couple of great job options, but I'm very very glad I chose this position and this institution. I had some great advice and input from friends about each position and agency, but this one really came to the top. I've spent the past 3 days learning some new systems, details about my role and tasks, and coming up with creative ways to make the position my own. This is the best part about the position - that it is whole-heartedly completely fundraising. I liked the Museum, don't get me wrong, and I liked being an event planner (I'm told I'm pretty darn good at it), but I was DONE with both factors. I didn't want to do events primarily anymore, and I just couldn't work in Nuclear anymore (or with the "boys club" that accompanies the industry).

and the pretty hefty salary increase doesn't hurt either. What can I say....I like being paid for my work, and not just earning money to pay bills.

Tomorrow morning I head to Santa Fe with my boss for a retreat with the rest of the development staff from the Santa Fe office, Friday we have an all-staff fun day planned in Abq, then next Monday I head back up to Santa Fe for some training on the donor database and formal orientation.

BUT...I actually have a two day weekend off! I hadn't had one of those in a LONG TIME at the Museum. SO EXCITED! Maybe I'll actually upload some of the TON of pics I took during our CA trip!

now, off to bed (early) to watch movies and cuddle with my love.

It seems that the world is working in my favor again.

On top of the mortgage process moving right along...I got my act together a few weeks ago and really started job hunting.

I knew very shortly after starting at the museum that it wasn't the right fit for me, but I took the position and promised myself that I would stick with it through grand opening.  I knew that there would be a lot of opportunity for challenge and subsequent personal and professional growth.  It was, and I did it, and it was time to move on.

I really picked through some job postings, and put myself out there in a manner of representing myself better than I ever have.  I truly had to make the jobs that I wanted KNOW that I was the right person for them.  I did all the necessary follow up: thank you letters for interviews, thank you phone calls for being taken out to coffee to meet other department heads, and so on.  I really put the effort into it. 

After everything that I've been through in my last few positions I really wanted to find something that I WANTED, ENJOY, and LOOKED FORWARD TO DOING.  It was very exciting to me just thinking about how I was going to finally find something that I was worthy of but was also worthy of ME.  For the first time in a really long time - I really & honestly believe that I deserve good things: to be treated well, to be respected, to enjoy my workload, and to be PAID WHAT I'M WORTH.

So, at 2pm yesterday after 1 phone interview, 2 formal interviews, and 1 informal coffee meeting - I got a GREAT job offer.  I will be doing more fundraising work for an amazing organization (a DANCE organization!), I will be involved in some great projects and change in the community,

............and my annual salary will increase by a third of my current income.

I have been wondering when I would make that "big leap" - the one that people always talk about.  They say it happens several years after you've surpassed those few post-B.A. years of being considered "entry-level".  I think I had become almost pessimistic that it would even happen...relegating my brain to believe that I would do the same shitty work and get the same shitty pay for a while longer....but I knew in my heart that I was ready for the change.

It's just such a relief and a boost to my self-esteem to think that someone else finally sees in me what I know I have in myself.  And it really goes hand in hand with all of the changes I've been making in my life of late.  I've gone back to swimming and exercising regularly.  I've changed my diet for the past few months to include some great organic tasty foods that I've missed in my lethargic comfort eating.  And the result of all of that is that my pant size alone has decreased by two sizes.  I didn't even notice it was happening...I was just doing it to feel better.

I just feel good.  It's an amazing feeling. 

and the funny thing about the job offer....is that I received it at 2pm yesterday....and at 3pm I had another interview for a different job.....and I have another interview lined up for a different position next week.  I went to the interview yesterday, and one of my friends was right - I probably gave one of the best interviews I've ever given....because I wasn't actually concerned with getting the job!  But, I think I'll cancel the interview I have scheduled next week.

There is a happy girl out here in Albuquerque. 

Spent some 2+ hours of my evening completing our first mortgage application.

"Hi!  I haven't given birth yet, but I'm sure that first born will be yours...did you have a name in mind?"

TOO MUCH INFORMATION!

BUT...we got through it.

Now, we go on to more evaluation with the broker, followed by a concrete knowledge of how much we are approved for, and then THE HUNT BEGINS.

While I am totally looking forward to finally owning a home of our own, I am NOT looking forward to going through a bunch of other people's houses and crap to find it.

Can't the perfect house just appear out of the sky?  With my name written on it?  And already have everything that I want so I don't have to worry about trying to hold onto some of our down payment to be able to afford new appliances or flooring just in case?

today, in a nutshell:

Wake up at 7am crampy and annoyed. Take Duni out for a potty and go back to bed. Get back up at 9:30am and get ready to head out of the house. Go to Duni's class at 11am, learn a lot, and even have the groomers show me a better way to trim his nails. Head to Lowe's to get some supplies and head home.

Get home a little after 1pm. Sit down for a little bit for a quick lunch and contemplate my plan of attack. Head to my office and spend a few hours completing the office/craft room re-organization. (Seriously, I'm shocked at how awesome it is.) 4:30pm rolls around and the days heat is finally chilled by a nice breeze, so I head to the front yard. Spend the next 2 hours planting new flowers in all of my porch pots, as well as new flowers and mulch in an in ground garden spot in the front yard. This outside work also included a run around the perimeter of the house with the anti-bug spray (an action inspired by my gi-normous buggy friend on the porch last night).

All the tedious labor done, I grab Duni and head to the dog park for an hour. Come back, thoroughly exhausted and filthy. Fed Duni and layed him down in his pen. Head to the shower and decide that I deserve to bust out one of the Lush bars of soap that Lolita gave me for my birthday.

Now, sitting on the sofa with kitties, and contemplating some foods.

oh, and that manicure that I was treated to yesterday....toast. but my toes are still cute from the pedi!

What a day!

my one first day off after 8 straight working days in a row, and only day off for this week, and cramps woke my ass up at 7am.  On a freaking sunday.  Took the dog out for a piddle then took some major ibuprofen and back to bed to try and sleep through the worst of it.

Finally up, feeling a little better, and excited because today is our first day of puppy training classes!  Don't get me wrong, Duni is a very well behaved dog.  He hasn't destroyed anything in the house except his own toys and bowls, he sits, he lays down, he shakes, he even high-fives!  He's a pretty good walker.  It's in his nature to pull, so we've been using special harnesses to walk him since he was little.  He does great with them and loves his daily walks and visits to the dog park and stuff.

But I enrolled us in puppy training (he's almost not a puppy anymore!  11 mo's old!) so that we can both try and learn some new ways to interact and respect eachother.  I'm terrible and do things like letting him sleep on the bed with me when D's out of town (he's crate trained and sleeps in there at night usually), let him lay up on the sofa with me, and have encouraged him being talkative - and I don't mean barking...I mean his mumbling and groaning sounds...they make me smile.  :)

I guess I just want to make sure he knows I'm the pack leader and will listen to me no matter what. 

So, we'll see how this goes!  hooray puppy school!

A quick update - Emily finally let go about an hour ago at 4:45pm (NM time). She took one final big stretch and that was it. I'm very glad she got to go on her own terms in her home surrounded by us and all the other furry friends. We already dropped her off to be cremated, then she'll head back to CA to go in my moms garden once she finishes her move from San Mateo to Sonoma.

I'm really really sad....but I keep trying to remind myself that she lived a long life and didn't go out in any kind of tragedy like a car accident or anything, ya know?

Still doesn't make me miss her less tho......

sigh.